


Take Care My Darling Girl.

by LittleRedRuby



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, The Ruby of The Sea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-30 20:19:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13959246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleRedRuby/pseuds/LittleRedRuby
Summary: Jester's upbringing, and encountering the Traveler.





	Take Care My Darling Girl.

**Author's Note:**

> I was pissed off at the fandom treatment of Jester and my pettiness got me out of my writers block, so here, have a little thing based on my personal headcanon about Jester's upbringing.

She is six when she sees him for the first time.

Mother hasn't come for a few days now, the maids take care of Jester for her meals and baths, they dont speak to her, barely acknowledging she exists, they aren't mean per se, just standoffish, and it's incredibly annoying. After all, a brothel isn't a place for kids.

He doesn't manifest himself at first, she is playing with a doll, the one that has the pretty sparkling pink dress her mother and her made a few weeks ago, the smiling face of the doll twist into a grimace and jester screams, flings the doll to the wall and scrambles back on her bed.

She breathes heavily, scared and lonely, who will help her when the maids don't even like her?

The doll starts moving on it's own, gets up, and waves at Jester. She hears a voice inside her head that says "don't be scared" but how can't she not be scared when the doll is moving on it's own?

"My dear Jester, I am The Traveler."

*

Over the next few years, she listens to his stories, hears all about the pranks and mischief he gets himself into, he tells her jokes that make her laugh, stories about stuck up Noble families he brought down with a few well placed rumors. She eats it all in, desperate for companionship.

Sometimes he moves around in his doll form, other times he is one of the dozen stuffed animals her mother brings, and when she starts drawing, he is the pen and paper, moving on it's own in mid air, drawing people who come into her mother's brothel, or people he keeps an eye out for, his paladins he calls them, people who spread his word and mischief.

Jester wants to be one of them, belong to a group of people who believe in the same thing. She'll pay any tribute, to be part of something like that.

He teaches her little tricks at first, to make mirror images of herself, to heal her fingers when she pinches them with the needle, or when she falls from jumping on her bed and twists her ankle, she picks it up easily, his symbol appearing more and more on her drawings without even realizing she made them.

She finds a pendant under her pillow one night, his symbol again, and she doesn't hesitate to put it on.

*

Her mother notices, but doesn't say anything, she stares at the symbols drawn on her sketchbook, sees the pendant around her neck, and smiles hesitantly when Jester tells her about it.

"Is this your decision? Are you doing this out of your own free will?"

Jester pauses and hesitates, the Traveller is her friend, she follows him because he is nice, and cares about Jester, and teaches her how the world works. She looks up at her mother, determined.

"Yes"

"Then I am happy for you" her mother hugs her tightly, buries her face on Jester's face and there is a hitch in her voice when she whispers.

"My darling girl, just remember, money is the only power a woman has in this world, and no God will ever take that away from you"

Jester takes those words to heart, and buries her face on her mother's neck.

*

Jester fucks up, she royally fucks up.

It was an innocent idea at first, the Traveller taught her how to change her appearance, and she has been practicing taking form of the paladins he draws on her sketchbook, when she finally gets it right she forms a plan, a mild prank on one of her mother's patrons, a regular who pays mother to sing and other things Jester is aware off now that she is older.

She takes her mother's beautiful form, covered in fine silks and colorful ribbons the Traveller congratulates her and with a whisper of "go raise hell" she opens her door and walks down.

Her room is in a small alcove at the top of her mother's establishment, with a door that disguises itself as part of the ceiling, she opens it and the stairs quietly fall down, pokes her head out and sees no one in the vicinity.

She steps down, she knows her mother is out today with one of her other regular patrons, so when she sneaks into her room another man is there, wearing fine clothes and with an air of superiority that can be off putting.

She plays him like a fiddle, and next thing he knows, he is locked in her mother's balcony in his undergarments, the laughter from the street reaches her ears soon enough and she feels a familiar warmth spread from her chest to every inch of her body, her form disguise drops, the magic can be draining and she couldn't hold it for much longer.

The man sees her through the curtains and his face gets all red and swollen.

"You'll pay for this!" The man screams in rage, and for the first time since she can remember, the warmth The Traveler gives her can't hide her fear.

The doors bursts open and her mother's distraught face catches her by surprise. She keeps whispering no no no under her breath and Jester feels small, she presses her back against a wall and sees the scene unfold.

Her mother fakes a smile, tries to calm down the noble, but he is pointing and Jester and screaming threats, her mother keeps blinking rapidly, keeping tears at bay, and Jester just slides down the wall, curling on herself. Trying to disappear.

"You will all pay for this! She most of all!" And with a flourish of his elegant and expensive robes, he is gone.

She hears more than sees her mother approaching, the rustle of fine silk robes barely grazing Jester's legs when she kneels down in front of her. Jester tenses up when her mother places a hand on her arm and slowly, terrified, she looks up.

Her mother sees the tears on Jester's cheeks, let's out a soft sigh and pulls Jester towards herself.

"Oh my darling girl, why did you do this?" Jester doesn't have an excuse, she shakes her head on her mother's neck, her sobs getting louder while mother shushes her and tells her everythig is going to be alright.

Her mother picks her up. Takes her to her room, she can hear the whispers of the other working girls and maids, how Jester is more trouble than she is worth, how this isn't the place to raise a kid, how this isn't the first time she causes trouble. Jester feels her mother get angry, and just before she is about to climb the stairs to Jester's room she turns around.

"This is _my_ daughter, you will all respect her as you respect me, now take all the patrons out, we are closed for the evening"

"But ma'am, business has just started..."

"Did I stutter, Edith?"

"No ma'am"

"Then do as you are told"

When the door is safely closed under them, her mother strides towards the bed, sits down and holds Jester until she falls asleep.

*

The noble doesn't calm down, his threats are hurting her mother and her business, and after a few days her mother comes into Jester's room, her face distraught.

She kneels down in front of Jester, hesitates a few times, her mouth opening and closing until finally says.

"You need to leave"

*

Her mother arranges everythig, a horse and a guide to the next town, a generous pile of gold and weapons Jester has only used on her imaginary adventures.

She kisses her forehead, holds her for a long while and when she separates from her she says "Follow them, they'll help you find your father".

When she is sitting on the horse, with the guide on a separate one in front of her The Traveler comes, they lose control of the horse, they can't get down, and they take off leaving her all alone.

"Don't worry my dear Jester, I'll take care of you, the adventure has just begun"

And with that familiar warmth, Jester smiles, and rides off into the night, the hooded figure on the side of the road laughing with joy.

**Author's Note:**

> The phrase from Jester's mom about money and power I got from Harlots. Watch that show people. It's amazing. Also, donate to my PayPal @ https://www.paypal.me/Ambar375


End file.
